Tasmania Skilled Migration Program: Your Pathway to Aussie PR!

Introduction

Tasmania, Australia’s island state, offers a compelling program for skilled migrants through its state nomination scheme under the Tasmania Skilled Migration Program. For many applicants, securing Tasmania state nomination significantly boosts the chances of obtaining a permanent or provisional skilled visa, especially Subclass 190 or 491.

Aussizz Group is proud to have assisted 180,000+ visa applicants to success across Australia, and we help many clients navigate Tasmania’s unique nomination pathways too.

In this blog, we answer all major questions you may have – eligibility, application steps, priority attributes, recent changes – and provide practical tips to improve your chances.

What Is the Tasmania Skilled Migration Program?

The Tasmania Skilled Migration Program is a state nomination program run by Migration Tasmania, which allows eligible skilled applicants to receive nomination to support their visa application. If nominated, you earn extra points under the Department of Home Affairs’ points test, making visas like Subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated) or Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional – Provisional) more accessible.

Key features:

• Nomination from Tasmania gives you 5 extra points in the points test for Subclass 190.
• For Subclass 491, a successful state nomination adds 15 points toward meeting the 65-point threshold.
• You will need to satisfy both Department of Home Affairs requirements and Tasmania’s nomination criteria.
• Once Tasmania approves your nomination, you must abide by conditions such as residing in Tasmania for a specified period (e.g. 2 years for the 190 visa)

Visa Options Under Tasmania State Nomination

The major skilled visas that Tasmania supports via state nomination are:

Some nomination pathways are open only for certain applicant types (e.g. overseas, graduates).

Note: Not all nomination pathways are always open; Tasmania periodically updates which pathways accept new Registrations of Interest (ROIs).

Tasmania Skilled Migration Pathways (Nomination Routes)

To apply for Tasmania state nomination, you generally submit a Registration of Interest (ROI), then if invited, apply for nomination. However, there are multiple nomination pathways based on your situation.
Here are the main pathways:

Tasmanian Skilled Employment Pathway

This pathway is for skilled migrants already employed in Tasmania in their skilled occupation area.
Key criteria:

• Your employment must be closely related to your skills assessment (same ANZSCO 3-digit grouping).
• You must have worked in Tasmania for a specified period (commonly 9 months, or 6 months for health, teaching, or critical roles).
• Salary threshold requirements (or market salary) must be met.
• Must currently live in Tasmania and intend to stay.
• Employer must be legitimate and satisfy Tasmania’s business existence requirements.

Tasmanian Skilled Graduate Pathway

This is for graduates who studied in Tasmania (CRICOS-registered institution) and meet certain residency and course requirements.

Typical requirements:

• Course completion: at least AQF 5 (Diploma) or higher, or at least Certificate III in certain major groups.
• Course must be on CRICOS, with minimum duration (e.g. 40 weeks).
• You must have lived in Tasmania for at least one full calendar year from commencement of course, and throughout study.
• Be living in Tasmania at time of nomination and intend to continue to live there.

Tasmanian Established Resident Pathway

This is for applicants already living in Tasmania for a longer time and working in Tasmania.

Requirements may include:

• Having lived in Tasmania for at least 2 years (with constraints about time in other Australian states).
• Being employed in Tasmania in a skilled role (or meeting criteria) for a period (recent months/years).

Important Concepts & Priority Attributes

Tasmania uses a category of priority attributes to rank applicants within each ROI pool. Having more priority attributes (Gold, Orange-Plus, Green, Orange) improves turn for nomination.

Priority Levels Explained

• Gold Pass: Highest priority; certain applicants with critical/priority roles and valid skills assessment can immediately submit ROIs. As of 19 May 2025, only Gold Pass holders could submit ROIs for 2024-25 program.
• Orange-Plus, Green, Orange attributes: vary by salary level, employment duration, relation to skills assessment, spouse’s employment, residency history, etc.
• Having one or more Orange-Plus attribute gave many candidates strong chances of nomination within six months under 2024-25.
  Note: just meeting base criteria is not always enough – your score and priority attributes heavily influence invitation chances.

Tasmania Skilled Occupation Lists (TSOL / TOSOL)

Tasmania maintains occupation lists (Tasmania Skilled Occupation List, or TSOL / TOSOL) that mirror or adapt the national skilled occupation lists, indicating which occupations are eligible or in demand for state nomination.

To qualify:

• Your occupation must be on the Tasmania list.
• You must have a positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority.
• Your job duties, qualification, and experience must align with the occupation.

Recent Updates & 2025-26 Program Changes

Because state nomination programs are dynamic, it’s critical to stay updated. Here are the major changes and the current status (as of mid-2025):

• 2025-26 program not open yet: Migration Tasmania has announced that the 2025–26 program is yet to open for new ROIs.
• Interim nomination allocations: While awaiting final allocation, Tasmania has a small interim allocation of 165 state nomination places in 2025-26 (85 for Subclass 190, 80 for 491).
• ROIs restricted to Gold Pass candidates: From 5:00 pm 19 May 2025, only Gold Pass holders can submit ROIs, and the submission window closed on 16 June 2025.
• All nomination places used: For 2024-25, all nomination places are exhausted; remaining lodged nominations will be processed when new allocations arrive for 2025-26.
• Certain pathways closed: The Subclass 491 Overseas Job Offer pathway is reported to be closed for 2024-25.
• Selection rounds planned: Migration Tasmania plans selection rounds in late January / early February 2025, especially targeting overseas applicants in health, allied health, and education.

Given these constraints, many prospective applicants must wait until the new 2025-26 program opens or focus on obtaining Gold Pass status to be ready.

Step-by-Step: How to Apply for Tasmania State Nomination

Here’s a simplified workflow for applying under Tasmania’s skilled migration program:

• Check eligibility
  Use Migration Tasmania’s Eligibility Checker to confirm your eligibility for nomination.
• Prepare your documents
  This includes: positive skills assessment, English test results, employment contracts, qualification certificates, employment history, resume, etc.
• Submit Registration of Interest (ROI)
  This is done via Tasmania’s Skilled Migration Gateway.
  • At times ROIs are limited to Gold Pass candidates (e.g. mid-2025).
  • ROI assigns you a priority in Tasmania’s queue.
• Invitation to apply for nomination
  If your ROI is competitive (based on priority attributes), you may be invited to apply for nomination.
• Submit nomination application
  Upload the required documents for assessment by Migration Tasmania.
• Receive nomination decision
  If approved, you receive Tasmania’s nomination.
• Apply to Department of Home Affairs for visa
  Lodge the visa application (190 or 491) with Home Affairs, using Tasmania’s nomination.
• Fulfill post-nomination obligations
  E.g., live in Tasmania for 2 years (for 190), maintain employment, etc.

Who Is Eligible? (Key Requirements)

To be eligible for Tasmania state nomination (for either 190 or 491), you generally must satisfy:

• Be under age 45 (as per Home Affairs rules for skilled migration).
• Have a skills assessment in your nominated occupation.
• Occupation must be listed on Tasmania’s skilled list (TSOL / TOSOL).
• Meet English language requirements (typically “competent English” or better).
• Meet employment / salary / residency / employer requirements per the specific pathway. (E.g. minimum work duration in Tasmania, paying market salary, etc.)
• Demonstrate “genuine commitment” to live and work in Tasmania.
• Dependents (if any) must move and settle in Tasmania (not remain in another state).

Importantly, satisfying base criteria alone does not guarantee nomination-your ranking (priority attributes) matters.

FAQs

Q1. Does having more points in the Home Affairs points test guarantee nomination?
No. Tasmania uses its own ranking via priority attributes (Gold, Orange-Plus, Green, Orange) and invitation rounds. Meeting base criteria plus a high points test helps but does not guarantee selection.
Q2. Can I apply for Tasmania nomination if I live in another Australian state or overseas?
Yes, some pathways (e.g. for overseas applicants or via TSOL) allow submission from outside Tasmania. But you must show commitment to Tasmania.
Q3. What is the “Gold Pass” and why is it important?
Gold Pass is a priority category; from 19 May 2025, only Gold Pass ROIs were accepted for 2024-25. It signifies applicants with valid skills assessment and eligible employment in critical roles.
Q4. How many nomination places does Tasmania have?
In 2024-25, Tasmania used up its nomination allocations (e.g. 2,100 for Subclass 190 and 760 for Subclass 491) during the year. For 2025-26, Tasmania’s interim allocation is 165 places (85 for 190, 80 for 491).
Q5. When will Tasmania’s 2025-26 nomination program open?
There is no confirmed opening date yet. Migration Tasmania has indicated it is not open currently. Applicants should monitor announcements and newsletters.
Q6. Can my Tasmanian nomination help me exceed the 65-point threshold?
Yes. For Subclass 190, Tasmania’s nomination gives +5 points. For Subclass 491, it gives +15 points.

Why Choose Tasmania?

• Lower competition than major states: While competitive, Tasmania’s region has fewer candidates compared to large states like NSW or Victoria.
• Lifestyle & opportunity: Tasmania offers a relaxed lifestyle, growing economy, and demand in sectors like health, education, hospitality, etc.
• Pathway to permanent residency: Through Subclass 190 or via further transitions from 491, Tasmania nomination is a solid route to PR.
• Supportive state policies: Tasmania is actively using skilled migration to address local labor shortages.

Conclusion

The Tasmania Skilled Migration Program offers a viable pathway to skilled migration for those willing to work, live, and commit to Tasmania. That said, due to recent constraints (e.g. nomination place limits, ROIs only accepting Gold Pass candidates), timing, preparation, and priority attributes are crucial.

At Aussizz Group, we combine deep expertise, updated knowledge, and end-to-end support to help you navigate this evolving landscape. Whether you’re preparing your skills assessment, choosing a pathway, or preparing your ROI and nomination, we’re here to guide you.

Get in touch with our migration experts to assess your eligibility for Tasmania skilled migration, be notified when the 2025-26 program opens, and prepare your strongest possible application.